City Council seeks local views

Local residents are being asked their views on BT plans to remove 27 ‘little-used’ telephone boxes within the Carlisle area.

The majority of the BT phone boxes are within rural settlements, 23 of the 27 proposed for removal.

BT is required to undertake a formal consultation process laid down by Ofcom with the ‘Relevant Public Body’ – in this case, Carlisle City Council. The City Council is now seeking local residents views on the plans, by Saturday, 28 June 2008.

The City Council has the power to veto a decision to remove the last phone box in an area. Where this is this wish of the local community the City Council will respond accordingly.

In order to effectively apply the ‘local veto’ power, the Council is required to follow a set consultation process. The City Council has drawn together a draft decision called a ‘First Notification and Schedule’, this sets out the affected phones boxes, the City Council’s views on their proposed removal and the reasons why they reached their decisions. Local residents are now asked to respond to this draft decision.

Following consideration of responses from the affected communities, City Councillors, affected parish councils and community groups, the City Council will then draw together its formal response. The ‘Final Notification and Schedule’ will be sent to the Secretary of State and BT.

To view a copy of the proposals see Documents Currently on Consultation or call into the Civic Centre’s Customer Contact Centre, during normal office hours.

For further information telephone Planning & Housing Services on 01228 817172.

To submit your views, please write to:

Planning & Housing Services,
Carlisle City Council,
Civic Centre,
Rickergate,
Carlisle
CA3 8QG

or email lpc@carlisle.gov.uk by Friday, 27 June 2008.